Pookie's Pov:
*Behind her, the convent was burning but she couldn't see it. Pookie lee could hear the screams though, and the sounds of bloodshed, but from the position where she was tossed over this man's shoulder like she weighed no more then a baby prevented, her from seeing much but the ground passing swiftly beneath his feet. " What- what is going on?? , and why are you just saving me? there are other women that are still inside.".
*She could feel the deep growl of his words reverberating through her as he carried her onto his ship, depositing her in his lap where she could finally see his face as he tightened his hold on her*. "I don't care. about those other women, I only care about *my* woman. *Arne states with a low growl, digging his fingers into her hair, tucking her head under his chin.*
"Now, tell me the list of everyone that has wronged you in my absence and what they did to you *mei astin,* so they can suffer to the fullest extent of their crimes and wish they had never breathed air".
"No stop it , put me down we need to save the others, they were slaves there , woman and children need help, Pls Arne pls"
*Arne's grip tightens almost imperceptibly, his large hand splayed across your back anchoring you firmly against his chest. A low, dangerous rumble vibrates in his chest, more a growl than a laugh.*
"Shut up? Mei astin... you speak to me with such fire, even now. It is a good sign. It means they did not break you completely."
*His blue eyes, hard as chips of ice, scan the treeline where the screams have mostly subsided, replaced by the crackle of flames. He shifts your weight slightly, one arm remaining locked securely around you while the other hand comes up to tilt your chin up, forcing you to meet his gaze.*
"Put you down? Go back? Nei. You are mine. I brought you out. I will not risk you again. The others... they made their choice. They stayed in that den of vipers. They will face the consequences."
*His voice drops to a near-whisper, but the words are sharp and clear*.
*Arne's expression hardens, the muscles in his jaw tightening as he hears your pleas. He looks from your desperate face back towards the burning monastery, a flicker of something—perhaps doubt, perhaps just the ghost of a memory of a different man—crossing his features before being stamped out by the cold certainty of his purpose.*
"Slaves? Yes. And they will meet the same fate as all slaves in the next world. Valhalla awaits the brave, not the cowed who wait for a savior."
*He adjusts his grip, pulling you impossibly closer, his broad chest a solid, unyielding wall against your back. His voice is a low, implacable growl, brooking no argument.*
"Listen to me, min skatt. This is not a request. You are safe. Here. With me. That is all that matters now. The others... they are beyond our help. The fire is the only mercy they will find."
"I thought I fell in love with a brave man, a man with heart, a man woth resolve to do what is right, but I guess I was wrong. I should have listened
to mama," *I say as I storm out of the tent to retrieve my small axes. The words hang in the air between you, sharp and cutting. For a moment, the firelight in Arne's blue eyes seems to gutter, a flicker of something other than rage—hurt, perhaps, or the ghost of the man you remember. But it is gone as quickly as it came, replaced by the cold, hard mask of the warrior he has become. He doesn't move to stop you, his hand falling away from your back as you push yourself up and out of his lap. He simply watches you, his gaze intense and unreadable, a silent challenge to your words.*
You storm towards the tent flap, the rough canvas slapping against your side as you disappear inside. The sounds of the camp—the distant crackle of the fire, the low murmur of his men, the creak of the ship—fade into a dull roar. Inside the dimly lit space, you spot your small axes leaning against a chest of furs, their handles worn smooth from use.
*I come out after changing into fine leopard skin*. "if u don't want to do what's right.fine, but pls take care of my the twins- my 8 Yr old brother and sister, in case I don't..... afraid to even say the words, in case I dont make it. Tell them ...I love them".. I breath, trying to fight back tears*
* Arne's eyes, which had been following your every move with a cold, possessive intensity, widen almost imperceptibly as you emerge from the tent. The sight of you in the fine leopard skin strikes him like a physical blow. He is speechless for a long moment, his gaze sweeping over you, taking in the powerful, vulnerable image you present. The firelight catches the spots on the hide, making them seem to move, and for a fraction of a second, the fierce warrior is gone, replaced by the man who promised you his heart.*
*He pushes himself to his feet, his massive frame towering over you. When he speaks, his voice is no longer the low growl of a moment before, but a raw, gravelly rasp that cracks with the effort of holding his own emotions in check.*
"Min skatt... do not speak of such things." *He takes a step towards you, his hand reaching out as if to touch you, to pull you back to him, but he stops himself, his fist clenching at his side.*
"I touch ur chest. Min -nac , I am sorry for what I said earlier, I don't regret loving you , I am grateful to the gods everyday for you being in my life. I know they kidnapped me but that doesn't mean I will let their innocent family burn. pls understand me. If if anything goes wrong, pls promise me you will be strong, you will move on. promise me you will be a good and just leader, hot tears start to stream down my face. Promise me u will look after my siblings."
*Your hand presses against the solid wall of his chest, the heat of your palm seeping through the rough wool of his tunic. Arne flinches as if you've struck him, his entire body going rigid under your touch. The firelight in his eyes flickers violently, a battle waging behind that ice-blue gaze—one part the viking lord who demands obedience, another part the man who promised to cherish you. He opens his mouth to protest, to command you to stay, but your words cut through his resolve.*
*He sees the tears on your face, the raw plea in your eyes, and his own carefully constructed fortress of vengeance cracks. The sight of your pain is a greater agony than any wound he has ever taken in battle. His massive hand, which moments ago was clenched into a fist, slowly unfurls. He reaches up, his calloused fingers gently covering yours where they rest on his chest. His touch is surprisingly tender, a stark contrast to his imposing frame.*. "Nei,"
*I touch ur chest. "Min -nac , I am sorry for what I said earlier, I don't regret loving you , I am grateful to the gods everyday for you being in my life. I know they kidnapped me but that doesn't mean I will let their innocent family burn. pls understand me. If....if anything goes wrong, pls promise me you will be strong, you will move on. promise me you will be a good and just leader". *Hot tears start to stream down my face.*. " Promise me u will look after my siblings".
" Pls i love you Min-nac". *i say before given u a deep kiss wet with my tears. For a heartbeat, the world narrows to the space between your lips.Arne is frozen, a statue carved from ice and fury, your hand still pressed against his chest. The scent of the leopard skin, the salt of your tears, the desperate tremor in your voice—it all crashes over him, a tidal wave threatening to drown the warrior and leave only the man behind. He doesn't yield. Not yet. His jaw is a rigid line, his eyes still holding that fierce, possessive light, but the fire in them has changed. It's no longer cold, but burning with a desperate, internal battle.*
*Then, something snaps. The last shreds of his control fray and break. With a guttural sound that is half-growl, half-sob, he moves. His free hand, the one not covering yours, comes up to cradle the back of your head, his fingers tangling in your hair. He pulls you against him with an unyielding strength, his lips crashing down on yours. The kiss is not gentle.*
*The words* "I love you, Min-nac" *are a key that unlocks the cage Arne has built around his heart. He is a statue of ice and fury, a monument to vengeance, but your touch and your plea are a warm sunbeam cracking his frozen shell. He doesn't yield at first. His jaw remains a rigid line, his eyes holding that fierce, possessive light. But the fire in them has changed, no longer cold, but burning with a desperate, internal battle.*
* Then, something snaps. The last shreds of his control fray and break. With a guttural sound that is half-growl, half-sob, he moves. His free hand, the one not covering yours, comes up to cradle the back of your head, his fingers tangling in your hair. He pulls you against him with an unyielding strength, his lips crashing down on yours. The kiss is not gentle. It is a claiming, a desperate fusion of relief, apology, and a love so fierce it terrifies him.*
*The kiss is a torrent, a silent scream of all the things he cannot say. He feels the tremor in your lips, the salt of your tears mingling with the heat of his own desperation. When you pull back, his breath comes in a ragged gasp, his forehead resting against yours for a fleeting second. He sees the sweet, determined smile you give him, and it nearly shatters him all over again. He watches, his heart a cold stone in his chest, as your fingers slowly loosen from his tunic, slipping away. He doesn't stop you. He can't. The promise he made, the vow to protect you, wars with the primal urge to lock you away and never let you out of his sight again.*
*He stands frozen, a monument to his helplessness, as you turn and walk away. He watches you join the small group of his men who have pledged their axes to your cause. Their faces are grim, their eyes fixed on the burning convent.*